Means for attaching heels



. 1,608,072 C. F. THATCHER MEANS FOR ATTACHING HEELS Nov. 23 1926.

Original Filed May' 1918 I. i. VENTOR IQR Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATE 5 CHAUNCEY F. THA'ICHER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MEANS non ATTACHIN'G HEELS. 1

Substitute for application Serial No. 236,784, filed May'27, 1918.

No. 523,771. This application filed June 30, 1926. Serial No. 119,635.

My invention relates to means for attaching heels and while it is applicable to mens and womens shoes, I have shown in the drawing herein the invention applied to womens footwear. I x The invention relates more particularly to the heel of a shoe or oxfordv tie and to the means for securing the heel to the footwear. The object of my invention is to simplify the method of attaching the heel for the purpose of reducingthe cost of manufacture of the footwear. By using'the present invention manufacturers may eliminate much of the hand labor heretofore employed in applying heels to footwear and the time required to permanently attach the heels may be considerably reduced so that much less space is required where footwear is manufactured in large quantities. Another ob ject is to" provide a strong and permanent attachment between the heel and footwear. In present practice it is-common to form the heel and'to attachit to the shoe by gluing it or by gluing and nailing it. W'hen. the glued heel is attached in place it is necessary to apply a screw clamp to hold the heel tightly on the shoe and it is necessary .to leave the screw clamp on the shoe until the glue has thoroughly hardened. It is customary to place the shoes with the attached screw clamps in'racks for a day'or more to allow the glue to harden before the clamp is finally removed; and this makes it necessary to provide considerable rack space.

It requires time and careful handling in order. to set the heel and to apply the screw clamp in place.

The present invention avoids the difli culties above set forth. I provide a simple device for drawing the heel against the shoe and for holding it in place sufiiciently tight so that theusual screw clampjneednot be used, and the holding device becomes a permanent part of the shoe, rendering the con nection between the heel and shoe Very strong. The attaching or holding means is very. simpleand inexpensive and it isvery.

easy to apply. 7

the drawing forming part of this ap plication,

Figure: broken away. showing a shoe embtidying hiy invention, if

Figure 2 is a sectional View thereof-taken on theline 2+2 of Fig.1 re 1. p

I a is aside elevation with parts 7 Renewed December 20, 1921, Serial Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the heel detached, parts being broken away,

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the shoe with parts broken away, and

Figure is a perspective view of the locking member.

I have shown an ordinary womans shoe 1 having a popular shape heel 2 attached thereto. It is to be understood that the shape or style of the shoe and heel may be varied in any manner andthat the present invention is applicable to mens or womens shoes or ties, or, in'fact, to any form of footwear which includes a heel. The term shoe is used herein to include any form of footwear which has a heel.

The present'invention may be utilized for shoes having heels made entirely of leather, or which are made of wood or composition, whether or not the wood'or composition is covered with a leather covering. In the drawing I have shown a wooden heel having a leather covering 3,4 and with a top lift 5 of leather. The shoe when prepared for the attachment of the heel generally has, a rounded or curved seat 6 shaped by trimming the leather as shown so that the seat '6 is convex, the edging 7 being turned in and secured by gluing. Underformer methods the, heal is glued directly to the seat 6 and .a screw clamp is then applied to hold the heel tightly against-this seat and the shoe is then laid upon a rack for a day or more to allow the glue to set and harden.

In the present case I apply to the seat by a mechanical and preferably permanent connection, a rigid member for drawing down theheel against theseat and for holding it there, and this member becomes a permanent part of the shoe. The member 8 for this purpose shown herein comprises a wedge which may be'stamped or drawn from sheet metal. It consists of a top plate 9 adapted to lie in a plane inclined in relation to the heel seat; ofiside walls 10, and an end wall 11. The sidewalls converge from their line of juncture with the top plate and their bottom edges 12 are inclined-in relation to the top plate 9. 'Thi'smakes" the'side's tapered in shape, being deeper at the back and running dOWn tojthepoint -13.-

' The rear wall ll is inclined in relation to the top pl-ate9 'and'as it meets edge to edge with the sides10it has a tapered outline.

.Therea're nail holes 14 inthe top plate 9 the shoeby glue alone. It is to be understood that the locking device is a permanent part of the product.

It is not necessary that the locking members be made hollow and of metal but I prefer to thus make them because they can be made in this manner very uniformly and very cheaply and at" the same time they are comparatively stronger.

This is a substitute of the application Serial No. 523,771 filed Dec. 20, 1921 the latter being a renewal of application Serial No. 236,784, filed May 27, 1918.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. An article of footwear having a heel seat, a locking member thereon of graduated height and having sides inclined horizontally in relation to the heel seat, and a heel 2 having a recess having an open end and unhaving inwardly inclined and converging 1 sides lO'and end 11, and a heel having a recess having an open end and undercut side and end walls, said recess being adapted to receive said locking member endwise therein, whereby the locking member and heel will have a dovetail and wedging connection.

Signed at the city, county, and State of New York this 3rd daytof May, 1926.

CHAUNCEY F. THATCHER. 

